Little Miracles - A Someone Else's Star Story
by Cherry Blossom
Summary: A tree falls on Trowa. Really that's the whole point of this chapter! Okay okay...Hilde and Quatre have a warm and fuzzy moment and guess who shows up at the very end...
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: Nope. Still don't own 'em. But I'll let you know if I ever do.

Warnings: 5xH pairing, yaoi pairings, yuri pairings (eventually), and look out for angst and weirdness ahead! ^__^

Dedications: To Sabacat who liked this pairing so much and poor Sabastian who shall be remembered always. For Kaze-chan with my aggravation that she has not sent me a new chapter to Giving Away an Angel yet _. For Lara who needs to write me another tasty DxH lemon (pretty please?). And primarily for those who lost friends and family in the terrorist attacks on New York City…my heart goes out to you. 

"Miracles will happen as we speak…" – Seal. 

Miracles – A Someone Else's Star Story – Chapter One

~ Cherry Blossom ~

__

"No teacher to follow, no prophet to tell me how,

But I know what I want, I know what I want now.

Like water, it rushes,

it's the last thing you see when you close your eyes,

it's the one place you want to be."

Lisa Loeb – Wishing Heart

"Well, what do you think?"

"A little to the left—no! The right! Yeah, that's it. Maybe just a bit forward…"

"Maxwell if you don't hurry up and pick a spot I am going to drop the damn tree on your foot."

"Oi, oi, Wu-man! Hold your horses 'kay? Just a bit more to the right…YES! That's perfect!"

Wufei lowered the base of the pine tree to the ground, sighing with relief as the strain was suddenly taken off his shoulders. Managing to disengage himself from the branches with only a few minor scratches, Wufei took a step back to observe the tree critically. Somehow it had looked much bigger (and felt that way) when he was carrying it from the car, but now, in the corner of the living room, it looked quite small and out of place. Then again, what did he know? Wufei had never had a Christmas tree before and it was only because of Hilde's insistence that he had even considered getting one this year.

But then, he'd been doing a lot of things differently since Hilde had moved in.

Wufei smiled, recalling the exact look of shock and pleasure that had flitted across Hilde's face when he'd asked her to marry him only one year before. It was the one decision that he had never had any doubts about. 

__

~ flashback ~

"You…you want to what?" 

Hilde took a step back; one hand pressing to the base of her throat as if she was having trouble swallowing the words her lover was feeding her.

"I want to marry you," Wufei explained, patiently. "As soon as possible. Immediately, even."

"But…" Hilde fumbled around for a reason why this was a bad idea. Because it couldn't possibly be a good idea. Nothing could be this simple, nothing could feel this right and still be good…could it? "Isn't this a little sudden."

"Not really," Wufei said, shrugging. "I knew that I loved you last Christmas when you told me that you wished you had someone who cared for you. I've wanted to marry you ever since our first kiss. And when you nearly died because I couldn't express my feelings for you clearly…" here Wufei looked dejected, "…I knew that I couldn't let you out of my sight ever again. I love you Hilde. Won't you be my wife?"

Hilde looked searchingly into Wufei dark eyes, looking for an answer to a question she could not voice. Wufei looked back, trying to put all the love, all the yearning, all the sincerity he could into the gaze…and after a while, Hilde nodded and smiled.

"Of course I'll marry you, Chang Wufei."

__

~ end of flashback ~ 

Smiling, Wufei looked down at the golden band that circled his finger. He remembered the engraving that had been put on the inside of both his and Hilde's bands. A single Chinese character.

'_Yong…'_[1]

~_ flashback_ ~

"Do you, Hilde, vow to—"

"Actually, I've made my own vows." Impish blue eyes sparkled mischievously behind a red veil as Wufei turned to look with surprise at his soon-to-be-wife. "Don't worry, they won't take long."

"Go right ahead child," said the priest, not seeming shocked at the sudden turn of events.

Hilde nodded and took Wufei's hand in her own.

"I never thought that I would feel this way about anyone," she started, smiling shyly behind her veil. "Love had been such a long time in coming that I almost gave up on ever finding you. And now that I have, I can't ever imagine living without you, Chang Wufei…"

Here Hilde seemed to loose her momentum, glancing nervously out at the throngs of people crowded in the pews. The wedding had been a mix of cultures. In traditional Chinese fashion, both Hilde and Wufei were dressed in red silk, the colour being a symbol of joy and happiness. But instead of a mirror to deflect bad spirits, Hilde held a bouquet of yellow roses in her hands. She had refused to be carried to the ceremony on a sedan chair but she did agree to the rice that was thrown at her feet as soon as she approached the alter and she and Wufei both agreed to the tea ceremony that would take place later. 

Sally, Catherine and Dorothy were lined up behind her: her bridesmaids or "good-luck women" as Wufei put it. Relena, her maid of honour, stood to the side. When Hilde looked to them they smiled and nodded their encouragement. Wufei, who couldn't choose just one best man, had decided to make ALL the Gundam pilots his best man, and they stood to the side of him. 

Trowa stood silent and still, his face betraying nothing, but Hilde saw the tight grip on Quatre's arm and knew that the stoic pilot was considering the option of marriage as well. 

The blonde Arabian was positively beaming with happiness for Hilde and Wufei and his bright smile made Hilde smile back. 

Duo fidgeted with his braid and looked miserable in his tuxedo (which, after many bribes and promises of what might occur after the wedding, Heero had finally managed to persuade Duo into wearing) but when Hilde's gaze rested on him he gave her a wink and a patented Maxwell grin. Returning the wink, Hilde then looked at Heero, who patiently held the rings on a red silk pillow. His deep blue eyes connected with hers and silently gave his approval and blessing. Hilde smiled at him and turned back to Wufei who, by now, was extremely anxious.

"Chang Wufei," Hilde said, clearly and decisively, "Wo ai ni.[2]"

Wufei's eyes opened wide, surprised to hear the words of his native tongue spoken by Hilde's lips. But she didn't stop there.

__

"Xuêhua piao

Piao qîle duoshâo àiliàn

Xuêhua fei

fei qîliâo duoshâo qíngyuán

Liánhua kai zài xuê zhongjian

Duoshâode xiwàng, duoshâode xinyuàn

Mòmò dêngdài you qíng rén

Dàn yuán qíng yì yông bú biàn

Xuêhua piànpiàn fei

Fei mân tian

Wângshì rú mèng sì yúnyan

Duoshâode tiánmì, duoshâode huáiniàn

Zòngrán xiang gé nàme yuân

Zhenqíng yông zhù zài xin tián

Xuêhua piànpiàn fei

Fei mân tian[3]"

Her poem finished, Hilde's eyes flickered nervously to Wufei's face. He said nothing. She bit her lip, worried that she had botched the pronunciation somehow, even though she had practiced for weeks with the more than willing help of Sally Po. Just when she began to pull away, Wufei's hand tightened on her own and he brought it hastily to his lips in a tender kiss.

"Airen…[4]" he began, searching for words to express his feelings and finding nothing more true then the phrase she had first said to him. "Wo ai ni. Yong…yong…" 

Not waiting for the priest to indicate that he should do so, Wufei lifted Hilde's veil and kissed her soundly, letting his mouth speak his feelings without saying a word. Relieved, Hilde leaned into the kiss, clasping her hands behind Wufei's head and holding him close. After a few moments, Duo made an impatient sound and Hilde and Wufei pulled apart, both blushing furiously.

"Well…" said the priest. "Normally we would do the rings first but…I suppose it doesn't matter. This is your ceremony after all."

Fighting down his embarrassment, Wufei turned to Heero who offered the rings with a slight smirk on his face.

"I guess I don't have to tell you "good luck" now, do I?" he whispered.

Wufei's blush deepened and he grabbed the rings, hastily sliding the gold band onto Hilde's proffered finger as she did the same to him. They then bowed to each other in a mutual show of respect and honour.

"I now pronounce you man and wife," said the priest solemnly. 

The wedding guests immediately cheered and Wufei found himself pelted with more than a few handfuls of rice. Glaring, he turned to Duo who stood off to the side, whistling innocently to himself. 

"Maxwell…" he growled threateningly.

"Oi! Wufei! Isn't it time for the nuptial chamber ceremony[5]?" Duo asked, violet eyes brimming with mirth.

Wufei blushed and sputtered, wishing that he had his katana with him. Confused, Hilde turned to him.

"What's that ceremony about?"

"Never mind," Wufei said, placing an arm around his new wife and leading her away from Duo, who was now making monkey faces at the two of them. "You don't want to know. Let's go to the banquet." 

"But I _do_ wanna know. Wufei? Wufei tell me! Wufei!"

~_ end of flashback _~

"Hellooooooooo! Wu-man! Anybody home?"

Wufei came to himself with a start to find Duo waving a hand in front of his face and looking at him with concern. 

"You okay man? You wouldn't answer me for the longest time," Duo inquired.

Wufei rolled his eyes. "I'm fine baka. I was just…remembering."

"Oh." Duo said. "Well remember later. We've still got to decorate this thing and clean up the pine needles before the others get back from their drive—"

"Too late," came a voice from the doorway and both pilots looked up, startled to find Heero Yuy leaning against the wall with something resembling a smirk on his face. "You've made quite a mess with that tree, baka."

"I was gonna clean up," Duo protested defensively. "Besides, it's not my fault Wu-man picked a tree that sheds more than our neighbor's cat."

"Where's the tree? I want to see it!" an excited voice proclaimed from the hall. Wufei brightened considerably at the sound and he looked with eager eyes to the doorway where a tired looking Hilde appeared, stomach swelled with the late stages of pregnancy, supported on both sides by Trowa and Quatre.

Seeing the frail picture his wife presented, Wufei rushed forward to take her in his arms.

"What happened? Do you feel all right? Do you need some water? Do you want to go the doctor's? Should I call Sally?" Wufei questioned, putting a protective hand on his wife's stomach.

Hilde smiled at the rapid inquisition that would have sounded more normal coming from Duo's mouth. 

"Calm down." She said. "I'm fine, really. Just a little tired. A cup tea and some rest and I'll be good as new, honest." 

Wufei glared at her reproachfully and Hilde squirmed under the force of that disapproving look.

"I'm fine, I swear it! Geez, you'd think no one's ever been pregnant before the way you're carrying on."

"No one's ever been pregnant with _my_ baby before," Wufei commented while easing his wife into a comfortable chair. He turned to the kitchen to make some tea only to find that Quatre had already done so and was now bringing a steaming cup to Hilde's waiting hands.

Smiling, Hilde took a cautious sip of the hot liquid and observed the tree. 

"Well…are we decorating this thing or not?" she said, reaching for a nearby box of tinsel. 

Trowa took the box from her hastily.

"_We_ are going to decorate the tree. _You_ are going to sit there and drink your tea."

Hilde pouted and took another sip of her tea.

""I'm not made of glass you know! I _can_ do things!" she protested bitterly.

"I know you can," Wufei said in a condescending tone that made Hilde want to smack him upside the head for one brief moment. Seeing her glare, Wufei hesitantly changed tactics. 

"I just want you to be comfortable. This is my first child and I want everything to be perfect."

Sighing, Hilde looked up into her husband's earnest eyes and smiled.

"Only two months left. Then we'll have a lovely baby girl," she said.

"Boy." Wufei corrected instantly and the couple began the same routine of argument that they had started when Hilde first told him that she was pregnant.

"Girl."

"Boy."

"Girl."

"Boy."

"Girl."

"B—"

"Uh, excuse me…"

Both parties turned to look at Duo, who through some strange mishap, had managed to get an ornament stuck in his hair. He pouted.

"A little help here?"

"Baka," Heero commented, coming over to pull painfully on the sparkly coloured ball tangled in the chestnut and gold locks.

"OwowowowowOW!" Duo complained as his hair got tugged mercilessly. 

Patiently, Heero unwound the strands one by one while Duo fidgeted.

"Itaa~ai!"

"If you'd hold still it wouldn't hurt as much." Heero explained in his flat monotone. But anyone could see the amusement in the quirk of his lips and the glint in his normally expressionless eyes. After a few more strands the braided baka was free once more and running around the room at top speed, launching tinsel in the air and getting more on his fellow pilots then the tree.

"Maxwell! Stop that! You are getting tinsel all over! Give me the box."

"Ya gotta catch me first Wu-man! And I don't think you can. Married life has made you soft and cushy."

"KISAMA!!!"

Wufei's face turned red and he raised his hands, ready to throttle the American. Duo 'eeped' and hid behind Heero, who calmly stepped out of the way.

"Hee~ro! Aren't cha gonna save meeeeee?" Duo complained, inching away from Wufei's outstretched hands.

Heero smiled and went back to decorating the tree, meticulously placing tinsel a strand at a time on each branch.

"Nope." He said. "You got yourself into this mess. Now you get yourself out."

Duo blew a raspberry at him.

"Meenie."

"You're DEAD Maxwell!" Wufei cried as he renewed the chase, grabbing a pair of scissors from the wrapping paper pile and threatening to cut off Duo's braid with them. 

Hilde smiled and sipped her tea, her hand reaching down to rub her stomach affectionately. She recalled the day she had found out that she was pregnant. She hadn't even gone to the doctor for any specific reason. It was just a yearly check-up, of no particular importance. When the doctor had told her she'd just about fell off the examination table. Not that Hilde had been anything less but thrilled. She'd always wanted a baby. But she wasn't quite sure how Wufei was going to take it.

~_flashback_~ 

"Wufei I can't believe you went to all this trouble just for me!" Hilde exclaimed as she looked at the feast spread before her. A table set for two by glowing candlelight was waiting for her when she arrived home from working at the garage. Her Chinese lover was patiently waiting with a steaming hot pasta dish and a bottle of white wine. Soft music played in the background. 

"Nonsense," Wufei said, ushering her to the table. "You've been really stressed out this week."

Hilde opened her mouth to protest but Wufei cut her off.

"Don't argue with me, onna. I know when you are overworking yourself. I thought that you deserved a nice dinner for a change. Now sit down and eat."

Hilde looked down at her dusty coveralls and then back at the delicate china glass Wufei was busily pouring wine into. She self-consciously wiped a streak of grease off her face.

"I'm not dressed for this," she murmured.

Wufei made a 'tsk' sound and glared at her, letting her know that his order was not a request. Hilde grinned and sat down, watching as Wufei placed a good amount of homemade pasta on her plate. It smelled so good Hilde could have kissed him, greasy cheeks and all.

"Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

"Not since this morning," Wufei replied, a hint of a smile quirking his lips.

"Well then," Hilde said, "I'll say it now. I love you, Chang Wufei."

"And I you. Now eat before it gets cold. You haven't been taking care of yourself lately. You're a bit too pale and you've been getting sick in the mornings again."

Hilde froze, wondering if Wufei had figured it out on his own. But no…he was going on about flu season and how she had to be extra careful and eat nutritiously and get enough rest. Inwardly, Hilde snickered. 

'_If he only knew…'_

"Onna?"

Hilde looked up into Wufei's penetrating dark eyes. They were rimmed with concern.

"You're quiet tonight. Is there something you want to tell me?"

Hilde bit her lip and shook her head. Wufei leaned over to capture her hand in his. She pulled away.

"Please tell me," he said quietly. "I love you and I want to know what's bothering you. Maybe I can help?"

Hilde avoided his stare.

"Do you really love me?" she asked timidly.

Wufei scowled at the question. "Didn't I just say that I did? Honestly, I think that Duo's a bad influence on you. Of _course_ I love you. Why would I be here if I didn't?"

Hilde blushed. She knew that it was a stupid question. But she just felt like she had to know…

"Will you love me forever? No matter what?"

"Don't you already know the answer to that, airen?" Wufei asked, confused. "What's with all this self-doubt all of a sudden?"

Hilde twisted a napkin nervously around her finger. "And you're not going to get mad at me for telling you something you might not want to hear?"

Exasperated, Wufei flung his hands up in the air and shouted, "No of _course_ I won't get mad at you! Now for the last time _what's the matter?_"

"Well…" Hilde said, "I have to tell you that…"

Wufei leaned forward in his chair. "Yes? Yes?"

"…that the pasta is a little over cooked."

Wufei nearly fell out of his chair, a massive sweatdrop appearing on his head.

"That's what you wanted to tell me?" he gasped, vein ticking in his forehead.

"Yup," Hilde chirped, sticking a forkful of said pasta in her mouth.

Wufei sighed and shook his head.

"Woman you drive me crazy," he lamented.

"I know," Hilde said cheerily. "But that's why you love me, right?"

Wufei snorted and lifted his wineglass. 

"Now that that's over with," he said, "will you join me in a toast?"

"Of course not," Hilde said, nonchalantly. "Alcohol is bad for the baby."

Wufei shrugged and brought the glass to his lips…only to choke and sputter when he registered what she had said.

"B-b-baby?"

"Would you like some more pasta 'Fei?" Hilde smiled innocently as she held up the offered spoon.

"B-baby?"

"Isn't that what I just said?" Hilde shook her head. "Honestly 'Fei, I think your hearing is beginning to go."

"Woman, if you are joking…"

Hilde put her hands on her hips in indignation.

"Would I joke about something like this?"

Wufei snorted and got out of his chair to stand beside her.

"I wouldn't put it past you."

Hilde's left hand slid down across her hip to rest on the slightly curved stomach. The swelling was not obvious but it soon would be. She caressed it protectively.

"I'm not kidding you Wufei," she said, her eyes downcast. "I'm really and truly pregnant."

"How long?" he questioned, his voice bereft of all emotion.

Hilde's eyes flew to his face but the slanted dark orbs gave away nothing and she wished, not for the first time, that she could read him as easily as he appeared to read her.

"I went to see the doctor last week. She told me I was already four weeks along…"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Wufei's voice wavered a bit and Hilde could see a bit more emotion show through his icy façade. But still, it wasn't enough for her to be sure…

Hilde bit her lip nervously. "I wasn't sure how you'd take the news. I know we didn't plan for this exactly—"

Hilde was cut off suddenly by the force of Wufei's lips against her own. She had barely time to think before he was kissing her passionately and as the kiss progressed she found that thinking was the last thing she wanted to do right now. Of course all good things must come to an end and as Hilde was rapidly running out of breath, she reluctantly pulled away.

"Wha…what was _that_ for?"

Wufei's normally set mouth curved into a dazzling smile and placed his hands reverently on Hilde's abdomen. 

"A baby," he said in bewildered joy. "I never again dared to hope…but the Dragon Clan will live on! After all these years of waiting…I'm not the last! We're having a baby!"

Wufei bent to place a kiss on the dirty, coverall clad stomach and in the process, managed to get a grease stain on his nose. Hilde laughed and wiped it off, gently.

"So you're not mad at me?" she asked, pretty sure she knew the answer already.

Wufei mock scowled at her. "Of course not, onna!" his frown disappeared. "I'm going to have a son!"

"Daughter," Hilde corrected absently, stroking the hand that covered her stomach where new life dwelled.

"It will be a boy," Wufei insisted.

"Girl."

"Boy."

"Girl."

"Boy."

"Girl."

"Boy."

"Boy."

"Girl…no Boy!"

"Ha! Gotcha 'Fei."

"Be quiet and eat your dinner, onna. My child needs sustenance."

~_ end of flashback _~

Hilde smiled and cupped her now swollen stomach and felt the thrum of tiny feet kicking inside. Her smile turned into a wince when one kick hit especially hard. Seeing her expression, Wufei knelt worriedly beside her.

"What's wrong? Are you in pain?"

Hilde rolled her eyes at his overbearing concern.

'Although I really should be used to it by now. He's done it for the past seven months.' 

"No, but little nameless seems to be trying her hand at kickboxing. She takes after you, I'm sure."

"He," Wufei said, stubbornly, but he reached down a hand to rest on the rounded belly and soon felt the rhythm of movement inside. 

Duo peered down over Hilde's shoulder. "Can I feel too?" he asked.

Not waiting for an answer, he placed his hand a bit higher than Wufei's, laughing when he felt the sharp kick.

"Wow, it's a fighter all right. Probably has Wu-man's temper too."

"That's Wu-FEI, Maxwell."

Quatre spoke up, shyly. "Do you mind if I…"

Hilde sighed and made a 'why not' gesture. "Sure. Go ahead. Why don't we all get it over with?"

As the rest of the pilots hovered 'round and placed a hand on Hilde's ample stomach, Hilde had to repress the urge to knock them all silly. 

__

'It's not that bad,' she thought to herself. _'At least these are friends. Much better then the total strangers I usually get to deal with.'_

For the last couple of months, ever since her pregnancy became obvious in fact, it became a habit of every single person walking down the street to stop, congratulate her, grope her belly, and tell her numerous tales about their own pregnancy, or their friend's pregnancy, or give their own opinion on what she should or should not be doing, mostly in regards to eating, walking, breathing, or lifting heavy objects like her purse. 

At first it was fun being the center of attention. Then as the stories took on a repetitive style and the nagging and fussing became more annoying, Hilde began to avoid crowded places. The last couple of weeks, Hilde found herself wishing that anybody else who had a baby should keep their opinions to themselves and leave her the hell alone. And of course, with her hormones completely out of whack, Hilde had to physically restrain herself from punching out the would-be well wishers as soon as they came close. 

__

'More then likely I'd cry these days…' Hilde thought bitterly, remembering how her emotions had led her to weeping ridiculously for absolutely no reason what so ever.

'A breeze would touch my cheek and I'd start to cry. A bird would chirp and I'd start to cry. Wufei would ask what the matter was and I'd start to cry. Stupid mood-swings…' 

~_flashback~_

"GO TEAM GO!! KILL THE BASTARDS!!! YEAAAAAAAH!!!!"

Wufei looked nervously over at his ranting wife, noting that if she'd gotten any closer to the t.v. her nose would be pressed against the screen.

__

'I don't think she even likes football. What's with all this ag_gression?'_

"Aw, c'mon Ref that was clearly an illegal tackle! Get some glasses!!"

Wufei took his wife by the arm and tried to lead her back to the couch.

"Calm down," he said. "Too much excitement's not good for the baby."

Hilde glared murderously at him. Wufei gulped audibly. Just as Hilde opened her mouth to let him have it, her attention was pulled away by a sappy telephone company commercial. //Daddy, when are you coming back home? I miss you.// //I'm only a second away Jordan. You can reach me anytime by calling 1-800-CAL-LATT and it will only cost you ten cents a minute.// //I love you Daddy.// "Oh…" Hilde sniffled, tears running down her cheeks, "that's just so beautiful." Mystified, Wufei turned back to the t.v. screen, placing his head in his cupped hands wearily. _'This baby better come soon is all I can say.' ~end of flashback~_

"All right, that's enough groping the pregnant lady!" Hilde exclaimed a few minutes later. "Don't you people have a tree to decorate?"

The pilots all dispersed at once, finding some scraps of tinsel or coloured glass balls waiting to be hung on the tree. Humming "Jingle Bells" under his breath, Duo nonchalantly placed a garland of fake poinsettias on Heero's head when he thought he wasn't looking. Unfortunately Heero did not seem willing to cooperate.

"Take it off. Now."

"Oh Hee-chan, you're no fun at all."

"…That's not what you said last night."

All activity in the room stopped.

"Heero!" Duo squeaked, turning a brilliant shade of red. 

"Yuy! Stop corrupting my unborn child with your hentainess!" Wufei ranted.

Trowa smiled and whispered something to Quatre that made the smaller boy gasp and blush in return, punching him softly in the arm.

"Behave yourself."

Hilde, in the meantime, was trying to hold onto her teacup while laughing convulsively. Tears ran down her face and one hand clutched her belly supportively.

"It wasn't that funny." Heero said, miffed.

Hilde kept on laughing until a particularly sharp kick interrupted her mirth.

"I didn't ask for your opinion you little brat," she told her womb in a semi-amused/semi-annoyed tone. There came another expected kick. But then there came something else, a white hot knife of pain stretching through her stomach down to her groin. It only lasted a second but it made Hilde gasp with its intensity. A wave of dizziness and nausea hit her and she swayed in her seat. The teacup plunged to the floor.

"Hilde!"

Wufei got there first, putting a hand to his wife's forehead and adding a supporting arm around her shoulders. A second after that Trowa was applying a cold compress to the back of her neck and Heero was patiently attending to the burns on her fingertips from the hot tea. Duo was on the phone talking frantically to Sally Po and Quatre had already picked the broken shards of china from the carpet and was busily mopping up the tea. Hilde's head cleared and the pain vanished as abruptly as it had appeared. She found that she was annoyed.

"Duo put that damned phone down."

He looked over at Hilde worriedly.

"Now Hilde," he started, "We're going to drive you to the hospital and Sally's going to have a look at you and then—"

"Put. The. Phone. Down."

"Aw, Hilde I know how much you hate hospitals but this is serious, babe."

First she was annoyed. Now she was pissed. "Duo Maxwell if you don't put that phone down this instant I will punch you so hard…"

Wufei cut in. "We're only concerned—"

"I KNOW THAT!!!"

"It's not good for the baby if you get all upset Hilde," Quatre remarked sweetly. Hilde resisted the urge to smack him. Barely.

"Look, bouts of nausea and dizziness are normal in any pregnancy!" Hilde said desperately, not telling them about the pain. She didn't want to think about that at the moment. "Heero! You tell them!"

Heero looked up from the bandaging job he was doing on Hilde's fingers. "Why do I…" he cut himself off as Hilde glared at him. Sighing, he gave in. "During the last trimester the mother often experiences periods of vertigo, fatigue, and nausea due to the chemical imbalance and extra demands on her body. However, these are considered normal and, if the incidents aren't too serious, should not be considered a danger to the child…"

Quatre looked faintly impressed.

"How did you know all that Heero?"

Heero blushed and looked at the floor. He mumbled something unintelligible.

"What was that Heero?"

"He's been reading my latest copy of Pregnancy Weekly," Hilde offered helpfully.

Heero's face went red.

"Dammit Hilde I told you not to tell!"

Duo still held the phone to his ear, where Sally Po's concerned voice could be heard through the mouthpiece.

"I still think you ought to go to the hospital," he remarked. Wufei nodded, apparently agreeing with him.

Hilde sighed in exasperation. "Look this is perfectly normal. Ask Sally if you don't believe me or Heero."

"Fine, I will." Duo said and asked a question into the phone. After a few moments he hung up, a little sheepish. "Sally says that these things are perfectly normal and shouldn't affect the baby's health in any way. She says that unless you feel that you need to, hospitalization isn't necessary."

Hilde smirked triumphantly. "See?"

Wufei opened his mouth, about to argue when Duo's voice cut in.

"She also said that you weren't to over exert yourself." 

It was Wufei's turn to smirk triumphantly. "You see? I knew you shouldn't have gone out tonight! It's compromised your health!"

Hilde rolled her eyes. "Oh for…look, I didn't over exert myself! I just went for a walk with Trowa and Quatre to see the Christmas display in the center. I bundled up nice and warm and I wore that damn scarf and everything. And I let Heero drive us back home instead of walking."

"But that's because you felt tired, right?" Wufei crowed in that superior tone Hilde hated so much. "You must rest more, woman. I will not have you jeopardizing yourself or the baby…"

Hilde was just about to snap at him when his tone went softer and something unidentifiable appeared in his eyes.

"…I care about you both too much to let anything happen to you again."

Hilde's retort died on her lips and she dropped her head on her chest in weary defeat.

/He's just scared. This is his first child and after that scare last year and his previous wife's death he feels the need to protect you and the baby as much as he can/ her mind argued. 

__

'I know,' she thought back. _'And that's why I'm not going to mention the pain. He's already nervous enough as it is. I don't want him to go stark raving bonkers on me. Besides, it's probably nothing. Probably…'_

"Why don't you go lie down Hilde?" Quatre offered, seeing the tiredness in her eyes. "We can finish up here. You've had a long day."

Hilde saw the pleading look Wufei gave her and repressed the giant yawn that threatened to pass her lips. She decided to let him have his way. This time.

"Fine. Help me up, would you Wufei?"

As Wufei hauled her gently out of her seat and led her to the bedroom, Hilde turned back and looked at the half-decorated Christmas tree with sudden remorse.

"I wanted to see you put the star on top," she said petulantly.

"I'll come and get you when it's time," Wufei said.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Oh," Hilde yawned. "All right then. Goodnight everyone."

Hilde let Wufei lead her into their spacious bedroom and tucked her into bed, making sure and pillow supported her back and that she wasn't too cold. Hilde, having fallen asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, was oblivious to the extreme look of tenderness on Wufei's face as he gently stroked the swell of her abdomen and covered her with the thick blanket. She did feel when he brushed back her short black bangs and pressed a soft kiss to her temple.

"Sweet dreams, Airen," he whispered.

"Mmm…" she murmured, smiling contentedly although keeping her eyes shut. In her ears the rhythm of two heartbeats pulsed strongly and the sound soothed her into a peaceful slumber. It felt so good to rest that she completely forgot about the frightening pain that had shot through her womb only moments before.

In the heavens a star burned brightly, almost fierce with it's light, and then…like a candle snuffed out, the light was gone, leaving only darkness…

To Be Continued…

[1] _Yong_ means "forever" in Chinese, I think. Please tell me if I've got it wrong.

[2] _Wo ai ni_ means "I love you" in Chinese.

[3] The lyrics to a beautiful Chinese song/poem by Huáng Mîn called Xuê zhong lián (Lotus in the snow).

Translation: Snowflakes drift 

Bringing with them so many memories of love 

Snowflakes fly 

Bringing with them so many stories of love 

The lily blooms in the middle of the snow 

So much hope, so many wishes 

Somberly wait for the one who has my love 

Hoping that the feelings will never change 

Snowflakes endlessly fly 

and fill the sky 

The past seems like a dream long gone 

So much sweetness, so much longing 

Though it seems so far away now 

True love stays forever in my heart 

Snowflakes endlessly fly 

and fill the sky

[4] _Airen_ is a Chinese endearment, "beloved".

[5] In Chinese culture the Nuptial Ceremony is when the younger guests, male and female, crowd into the bride and bridegroom's new room and make fun of them after the wedding is completed. The couple is compelled to perform stunts, to make gestures of intimacy, and so forth. It lasts until about midnight, when the guests leave to have yet another feast before returning home and leaving the bride and groom alone for the "honeymoon" ^__^ I can just see Duo poking fun at Hilde and Wufei in the bridal chamber. "Aren't ya gonna kiss her Wu-dude? C'mon give her a big smootch!"

::heaves sigh of relief:: Well…you can't imagine how long it took me to come up with a sequel for this. Well…I guess you could figure it out by adding up the days between the last chapter and this but that would take all the fun out of it. : P

Anyway, I'm hoping that since this series had such a good response last time I might get an even BETTER response with this continuation. As for Hilde's baby…let's just say I haven't decided on a happy ending yet and leave it at that. 


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: Nope. Still don't own 'em. But I'll let you know if I ever do.

Warnings: 5xH pairing, yaoi pairings, yuri pairings (Catherine and Dorothy drop by! Yay! ^__^), sillyness, pregnant lady. 

"Miracles will happen as we speak…" – Seal. 

Miracles – A Someone Else's Star Story – Chapter Two

~ Cherry Blossom ~

Hilde woke to faint rays of sunlight warming her face. Slowly she opened her eyes and blinked, vaguely confused but extremely well rested.

__

'Hmm…I smell bacon, maybe 'Fei's making breakfast.'

A lazy smile crawled across her face and then disappeared once she realized the implications of that thought.

__

'Wait a minute…breakfast! I must have slept through the night! Why didn't anyone wake me up, dammit? Now I'm going to seem like an ungrateful host or something.'

Hilde growled softly and rolled over on her side, swinging her legs to the very edge of the bed in an attempt to gain some leverage to help her get up. Her hugely rounded belly wasn't helping matters and her back ached with the attempt. She ended up flopping around helplessly for a few minutes.

"This is ridiculous," Hilde sighed, grasping the side of the bed and dragging her self sideways in a slow crawl.

A muffled laugh greeted her ears. Unable to see who it was from her position, Hilde scowled and called out, "I know I look like an idiot! So get your ass over here and help me before I fall out of this damn bed!"

The soft pad of footsteps against thick carpet grew closer and Hilde found herself looking at a pair of long legs swathed in black slacks.

__

'Hmm…not bad,' Hilde thought, licking her lips. And then the figure crouched down, totally ruining the view. Now Hilde's eyes connected with a pair of brightly shining dark orbs, sparkling with concealed laughter.

"Do you require some assistance, wife?"

"Shaddup and give me a hand will ya?" Hilde muttered, glaring at her husband.

Wufei held out his hand and grasped Hilde's arm, slipping another hand around her back to support her weight. Then he pulled forward gently, successfully bringing Hilde to a standing position. Once she was securely on her feet Hilde shoved Wufei away, whacking him hard in the shoulder.

"Oww…" Wufei said, rubbing his shoulder indignantly. "What was that for?"

"For laughing at me! And for not waking me up! I thought you were going to get me when it was time to put the star on the tree? You broke your promise!" Hilde said, pouting.

Wufei smirked and picked up the shawl lying on the bedpost, draping it carefully over Hilde's shoulders.

"But I didn't, airen. We have yet to put the star on the tree. You were sleeping so peacefully nobody wanted to wake you, so we decided to put off decorating until the morning."

"…Oh," Hilde said, feeling a bit foolish. "I'm sorry 'Fei, I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just hormones."

"I know," Wufei said, leading Hilde out of the room. "Believe me, I know."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"Er…nothing, dear."

"Thought so."

Hilde's stomach took that moment to growl loudly. Blushing, Hilde placed a hand over her swelled abdomen.

"Hungry?" Wufei guessed.

"Yeah, and little nameless is too. What is that heavenly smell?"

"Breakfast. Heero's commandeering mission: omelet. He's got everybody helping."

Hilde's eyes grew wide with alarm.

"Even Quatre?"

Wufei snickered and patted Hilde's hand, consolingly. "Don't worry. Heero's restricted him to chopping vegetables. I'm sure this won't be a repeat of last time."

Hilde sighed in relief and smiled at him. "It's not that I don't trust Quatre. He was only trying to help. But I don't think the kitchen could survive a repeat performance of his chicken caccitore."

Wufei chuckled as they entered the kitchen. "I don't think Trowa's eyebrows could survive another round either."

"What was that?" Trowa asked, pausing in his separating of eggshells to look up at the entering couple.

"Nothing," Wufei said, shaking his head.

Trowa shrugged and went back to cracking eggs, keeping an eye on his blond lover who was beside him, chopping peppers very carefully, an intense look of concentration on his face.

On the other side of the room Duo was pouring huge glasses of orange juice and singing along to the radio playing in the background. Sometimes dancing over to the stove to give his boyfriend a pinch in the butt. Heero paying no attention to him, keeping his focus on creating the perfect omelet, brandishing the spatula like a weapon.

Hilde giggled at the sight and Duo bounced up to her, grinning widely.

"It's about time you got up Hilde! I would've had to eat your omelet if you'd slept in any longer," he exclaimed.

Wufei snorted and tugged gently on the braid slung half-hazardly over the energetic Shinigami's shoulder. 

"You say that like you would have minded."

Duo pretended to be hurt for a few moments before breaking into an excited smile and placing a hand to Hilde's stomach.

"And how's little nameless this morning? Still alive in there?"

"Alive and kicking," Hilde replied, grimacing as the baby inside her gave a fair demonstration of Tai Bo. "And probably hungry."

"Well then by all means, sit down and eat. We're almost done here."

"Ouch!"

All heads turned to the source of the cry where Quatre stood, his finger in his mouth. Instantly Trowa was at his side, pulling at the hand.

"Let me see," he said, grabbing a clean cloth from the cupboard to wrap the injured finger in.

"Tro~wa," Quatre protested, trying to take back his hand, "It's not _that_ bad. Only a little cut."

But Trowa refused to listen to him, bringing the boy over to the sink to rinse off the bloody finger. Quatre sighed and allowed his boyfriend to fuss over him, slightly enjoying the attention.

Hilde waddled over to the counter where the kitchen first-aid kit was kept and took out some band-aids, handing them over to Trowa who took one and tenderly wrapped it around the small cut, kissing the bandaged finger.

Quatre blushed a cute red shade and rolled his eyes. "Honestly Trowa, you can be so silly sometimes."

"And you should be more careful," Trowa admonished. "Were you trying to cut your finger off?"

"Tro~wa! It wasn't _my_ fault, the knife slipped!"

Trowa turned to Heero who was still flipping over the omelet.

"Next time," he said, "we only let him set the table."

"Ryoukai."

"Heeeeeeeey!" Quatre pouted, crossing his arms over his chest in indignation.

Hilde laughed and sat down in one of the chairs that surrounded the large kitchen table, sighing as the weight was taken off her swollen feet.

"Well I hope you won't need me for anything. Once I sit down, I'm not getting up anytime soon," she declared.

"Nope," Duo chirped. "We're finished. Here Hee-chan, slide the first one onto this plate and I'll get some more."

Heero placed one finished omelet onto the china plate Duo was holding out and accepted the next batch of eggs from Trowa. Duo skipped over to the table and put the plate before Hilde.

"Eat up, before it gets cold," he said, winking.

"Right." Hilde said, picking up her fork and digging in with the enthusiasm only shared by pregnant women and teenaged boys. 

The others watched in something like shock.

"Wow, Hil!" Duo exclaimed in awe. "I didn't know you could eat _that_ much so fast! We should enter you in a contest or something!"

Hilde glared at him over her forkful of egg.

"Shufft uptff."

Wufei sighed and took the next plate handed out by Heero. He was just about to sit down next to his wife when the doorbell rang once. And then twice. And then fifteen times in rapid succession.

"Who the hell is that?" Wufei grumbled, placing the plate on the table and walked out to the front hallway, peeking through the small peephole in the door. All he could see was a solid block of something shiny and red. _'What the…'_

"Who is it?" he yelled through the door.

"It's Santa Claus, you moron. Just open the damn door Chang before I stick you with a meat fork," an irritated voice replied.

"I can see your manners have not changed much over the years, Dorothy." Wufei said as he swung open the door.

A tall shapely form hidden beneath a pile of brightly wrapped gifts walked forward into the room, her lover following close behind with a few of the smaller bags and a small smirk on her face.

"Hello Wufei," she said.

"Catherine," Wufei bowed his head politely in greeting.

"Yeah, yeah. Enough with the pleasantries. Tell me where I can put these presents before I permanently injure my back," Dorothy snapped, staggering a bit under the weight.

Wufei stepped forward and held out his arms. "Well if you like," he offered, "I could take some…"

"Oh would you? Thanks!" Dorothy said, dumping the entire load in Wufei's arms. The Chinese man tipped forward and struggled to keep himself upright.

"Such a doll," Catherine exclaimed, reaching over to pinch one of Wufei's cheeks. He blushed bright red and sputtered a bit, incoherently. "No wonder Hilde snatched you up."

"Where is everybody?" Dorothy asked, hanging up her coat and taking Catherine's as well.

"K-Kitchen…" Wufei managed to rasp as he stumbled towards one of the bedrooms to get rid of the presents.

"C'mon then, let's go say hello to everyone," Dorothy said, taking Catherine's hand and walking with her towards the kitchen area, blowing a kiss to Wufei over her shoulder.

Wufei growled and was about to say something along the lines off "injustice" when he lost his grip on the presents and they tumbled down to the floor with a loud crash. Wufei looked at the mess and bit his lip.

"I hope none of those were breakable…"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the kitchen, Hilde had just devoured her second omelet when the two unexpected guests walked in. Even Heero's eyebrows raised in surprise when Dorothy snatched a green pepper from his skillet and popped it in her mouth.

"Oooh! Hot hot HOT!!"

Quatre quickly got her some water while Duo hid his giggles. 

"Dorothy! Catherine! I thought you guys were spending your Christmas vacation in Hawaii?" Hilde said, struggling to stand up only to be stopped by Catherine's hand on her shoulder. 

"We were. And Dorothy sulked time because there were no Christmas trees."

"I do not sulk." Dorothy said, sticking out her wounded tongue and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oh? Then what's that you're doing now?"

"This is pouting, not sulking. And you'd better watch it before I start whining. So how you doin' Hilde? You're as big as a house, when are you going to drop that kid anyway?"

"I swear Dor you have absolutely no tact."

"Tact? What's that, I've never heard of it?"

"Obviously."

Hilde chuckled and shook her head. Some things would never change. She had to admit that it would be nice if everybody could make it to Christmas this year. Zechs and Noin were already planning to fly in on Christmas Eve and Relena was taking time off from her busy schedule to Arrive early Christmas morning. In fact, now that Dorothy and Catherine were here there was only one person missing…

"Hey! Where's Rashid?"

"Yeah," Catherine said, looking around the room. "Where is that funky old Maguanac anyway? Didn't you bring him with you, Quatre?"

The small Arabian looked suddenly panicked as he attempted to explain why his tall guardian had not accompanied him.

"Well you see, er…it's not that he didn't _want_ to come, it's just, uh…well…"

Trowa put a hand on Quatre's shoulder and gave a small smile.

"What's he's trying to say is—"

"You guys drive Rashid nuts!"

Everybody turned to glare at Duo.

"What? 's truth."

Dorothy gave a wicked smile. "Hmm…I guess we can't really blame him. After what we did to his clothes…"

"Don't forget that weird haircut we gave him while he was asleep!" Catherine added.

Duo laughed. "And what about the time you guys accidentally burnt his eyebrows off while he was trying to make flambe."

"Join the club." Trowa said dryly while Quatre hid his face in his hands.

"Isn't anybody ever going to forget about that?" he wailed.

"Nope," Trowa replied, ruffling the smaller boy's hair affectionately.

Hilde smiled at the couple and rubbed a hand over her stomach. A sharp kick from inside made her gasp with surprise.

"Oh!"

Instantly Wufei was by her side, checking her breathing, feeling her forehead and generally being a nuisance. 

"Are you in pain? Do you need to lay down? Should I call Sally? Are you feeling tired at all?"

Hilde rolled her eyes and smacked her husband lightly on the shoulder.

"Would you give it a rest already? Geez, she was just kicking."

"He."

"She."

"He."

"She."

Catherine and Dorothy shared a glance and then Catherine ran off to get her camera.

"This is a Kodak moment," she declared, snapping a picture of the arguing parents-to-be. "They're just so cute!"

"Who's going to kill who first?"

"I've got twenty bucks on Hilde."

"You're on." 

"Hey guys!" Duo yelled, interrupting the fight. "Are we going to put the star on this tree or what?"

"Yeah!" Hilde said, moving to get up. 

"Oh no you don't. You're staying right in that chair."

Hilde glared at Wufei venomously. 

"And how am I supposed to get to the living room if I'm confined to this chair, _dear husband_?" she asked.

Wufei smirked.

"Heero? Would you mind?"

The stoic boy reluctantly put down the spatula and came over to where Hilde was sitting, easily lifting the chair and bringing it into the living room, with Hilde still in it.

"…."

Duo flung his arms around his boyfriend.

"Isn't he just so damn useful?"

"Hn."

To Be Continued…


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: Nope. Still don't own 'em. But I'll let you know if I ever do.

Warnings: 5xH pairing, yaoi pairings, yuri pairings, silliness, pregnant lady. 

Archive: Anyone who wants it. Just ask me first.

Summary: A tree falls on Trowa. Really, that's the whole point of this chapter. Okay, okay…Quatre and Hilde have a heart to heart too. And guess who shows up…

"Miracles will happen as we speak…" – Seal. 

Little Miracles – A Someone Else's Star Story – Chapter Three

~ Cherry Blossom ~

Hilde looked at Heero for a long time. She observed how skinny his arms and legs looked and his height which, truth to be told, was only a little bit larger then Quatre's. Then she calculated in her head the amount of force it would take to lift a chair and an eight months pregnant lady and carry it over the space of ten feet. She blinked.

"Okay…you're a cyborg is that it? No wait! You're an alien from the planet Krypton, right?"

"Hn." Heero glared at her and crossed his arms over his chest while Duo danced around him, laughing.

"Are you sure you didn't at least injure your back doing that?"

"Hn. I lifted with my legs."

"…Oh." 

"Let's get this star on the tree and then we can all go to the mall!" Duo said, searching through the empty boxes for the missing tree ornament.

"The mall?" Heero repeated, looking puzzled. "Why do you want to go there? I thought you did all your Christmas shopping early this year."

Duo blushed and avoided Heero's gaze. 

"Well I uh…I wanted to…"

"Spit it out Maxwell. What did you want to do?"

"I wanted to…"

Now Heero looked worried.

"Duo, what is it?"

"I wanted to go visit Santa." the braided youth mumbled, his face red with embarrassment.

Heero frowned. "But…why?"

Duo sighed and hung his head. "I know it's something only little kids do," he said, "but I…I've never gotten a chance to do it. I just wanted, for once in my life, to be like a normal kid at Christmas. You can call me a baka if you want. I know it's a silly wish…"

"Can I come with you?"

Duo looked up, startled.

"You…you're joking, right?"

Heero shook his head. "No. Can I come with you? I never got to be a normal kid at Christmas either. I'd like to find out what it's like."

Duo's eyes glittered suspiciously for a few moments before he broke into a wide grin and flung himself into his boyfriend's startled arms.

"Love you," he whispered, hugging him furiously.

"Aw…" Dorothy exclaimed, brining the camera up again and snapping a picture. "You guys are just too cute!"

"Can I come too?" Catherine piped up. "I've got a few things on my wish list I need to tell Good Ol' Saint Nick as well."

"If she's going, I'm going," Dorothy announced, lacing an arm through her lover's with a possessive smile. "I'll be damned if I'm going to let her sit on some old man's lap without me around to supervise."

Wufei coughed, his face going red as a beet and Hilde grinned.

"Hey now, don't go corrupting my unborn child just yet," she chuckled, putting two hands over her belly as if to cover the child inside's ears.

"Yeah, that's my job," Duo complained, earning a glare from Wufei. 

"Just one question," Heero asked.

"Yes Hee-chan?"

"Who the heck's this Santa Claus guy? And for that matter, who's Saint Nick?"

Duo giggled, patting Heero on the back.

"Saa, Hee-chan…I can see my work's cut out for me. We're going to have a lesson in Christmas figureheads."

Heero drew back, a bit of apprehension in his posture.

"This isn't going to be like the time you taught me about mistletoe, is it?" he asked, to which Duo gave a wicked leer.

"Do you want it to be? I could show you a few interesting uses for candy canes…"

"That's quite enough of that!" Wufei yelled, his face going redder by the minute. "I don't need to hear about your perverted exploits Maxwell!" 

Duo rolled his eyes. "Sheesh, Wu you're such a prude. If it weren't for the fact that Hilde's eating for two over there…hey, are you sure the mail man wasn't hanging around too often a couple months back?"

Wufei's outraged exclamation echoed in the small room and Hilde had to work to hide her giggles. Of course, nobody else even bothered to do the same. 

Quatre was slumped against Trowa, helpless with laughter. The taller boy supported the other just barely; his own efforts at keeping upright seriously limited. Wufei's face was just too priceless. Dorothy snapped another picture before putting down the camera and picking up an ornament from the box in front of her. 

"Well, who gets to do the honors?" Dorothy held up the sparkly plastic star that would go on the top of the tree.

"Make Trowa do it," Duo said. "He's the tallest out of all of us."

Trowa, who really did stand about two feet taller then anybody else in the room, stepped forward to take the ornament. He stood next to the tree and ignored the stepladder, choosing instead to reach up on tiptoe to place the star on the highest bough.

When it was in place, he stepped back and nodded a signal to Heero who flicked the light switch, turning the room lights off. The many strands of tiny twinkling lights twined around the tree glowed in the sudden darkness, the different colors reflecting on the faces of those who watched.

"Beautiful," Hilde sighed happily. Wufei smiled at her and put an arm around her shoulders, giving her a gentle squeeze. This would be their first Christmas together as a family and he couldn't help but wonder at the sensation. No longer was he the Solitary Dragon. He had a home now and a family once again. 

Do you believe in miracles? 

"Yes," he whispered out loud. "I believe."

"Wufei?" Hilde observed her husbands glazed stare and started to worry. Maybe they had gone too far with the teasing? "Are you all right, 'Fei?"

Wufei's eyes focused again and he gave his wife a reassuring smile, taking her cool little hands in his own. "I'm perfect. Everything is just…perfect."

"So sweet…" Hilde whispered, a mischievous grin on her face as she angled her head up expectantly for a kiss. Wufei was just about to oblige when…

"What the…look out!"

"Uh oh."

*CRASH*

The tree, which had stood proudly in the corner before, was now sprawled out on the floor, sending a spray of pine needles over the helpless victims before it. The lights winked out leaving the room clothed in darkness and a general panic was starting until Dorothy found the light switch. They all looked at the tree, slumped over on its side, ornaments and lights spilling off of it and onto the floor. Amazingly, the star stayed on its perch. Catherine came over and kicked the base a little.

"It's dead," she announced.

Quatre's eyes widen as he discovered that one person was suddenly missing.

"Trowa? Trowa, where are you?!"

A groan came from under the tree and one pale hand moved from underneath a pile of trimming.

"Trowa!" Quatre was at his side instantly, his hands trying to move the branches off of his lover. "Are you okay? Is anything broken? How do you feel?"

"Like a tree just fell on me," Trowa answered, the dryness in his voice somewhat muffled by the fact that he was kissing the carpet. "Just get me out of here. There's an ornament poking my ass and tinsel up my nose."

"Hold on buddy," Duo said, his mouth fixed in a wide grin. "Heero's gonna get you out in a second."

He nodded to Dorothy who picked up the camera again and gave him a thumbs up.

"This is going in the scrap book for sure."

"Would you get this thing off me?!" Trowa yelled impatiently.

"Hn." Heero said, grasping the trunk in one hand and pulling it back while Quatre yanked a scratched, bruised, and tinsel covered Trowa Barton out from underneath it.

Hilde snickered and Dorothy snapped the picture.

"Say cheese!"

"I'm going to kill you."

"Stop stealing my lines," Heero remarked casually, shifting his grip while he kneeled down to inspect the base of the tree. "Just as I thought. The stand was not adjusted properly."

Wufei turned to glare at Duo who grinned sheepishly and spread his hands in an "oops" gesture.

"I should have known never to trust Maxwell with _anything_."

"Hey!"

"I have fixed the problem," Heero interrupted, standing the tree back up and steadying before stepping back. The tree was looking a little worse for wear, its trimmings all on the floor, along with most of its needles. Not to mention that Trowa was wearing most of the tinsel. 

"I hate Christmas," Trowa sulked, pulling tinsel out of his hair while Quatre fussed over the scratches on his arms and face.

"Don't be such a Scrooge," the blond chirped. "Think of it as divine justice for making fun of my cooking."

"But Quatre…you're cooking is horrible—"

"Watch it. Another tree might target you."

"At least the star stayed on," Hilde remarked. "And since most of our ornaments are plastic, nothing's broken. Thank goodness we didn't get any of the glass balls. Are the lights still working?"

Wufei plugged them in a flicked the switch. A dull glow illuminated the small bulbs.

"They work."

"We'll just have to redecorate then."

"Mou! I wanted to get to the mall before it got too busy!" Duo pouted. "We'll never get to see Santa at this rate."

"Go on," Hilde said. "You don't have to stick around for the second tree trimming. Take Heero with you. We can clean up here."

"You mean it?" 

"Of course. Now get! And don't forget to bring me some candy canes!" Hilde called as Duo grabbed onto Heero's hand and practically dragged him out the door. She chuckled at the trail of dust they left behind them, then turned back to the mess that was her living room.

"So…the vacuum's in the closet, the carpet cleaner is in the basement and the wash cloths are in the kitchen. I'm pregnant and can't bend over so I'll just supervise from this chair over here. Get to work guys! Hop to it, before that dirt stains my pristine carpet!"

"I can't help, I'm injured." Trowa protested.

"And I have to take care of Trowa." Quatre put in hastily.

"Well I…" Dorothy paused, trying to think up a good excuse for not helping. "…uh…"

"That's what I thought. Grab a mop."

"Aw…"

Dorothy, Catherine, and Wufei set to work, cleaning up the dirt and pine needles and then re-trimming the tree while Hilde "supervised" in her chair with a cup of hot cocoa.

"Ah…this is the life." Hilde mused, taking another sip of her cocoa. "Isn't it great that we can all be together at Christmas time?"

Three groans echoed in reply.

"Heh heh heh…Fa la la la la, la la la la."

"Was your wife always this cruel?"

"Yes."

**********

An hour later, the tree had been put back to its normal, decorated state and Hilde was busy showing Quatre and the girls the baby clothes she had bought.

"That's soooooo adorable!" Catherine squeal, holding up a little yellow jumper with teddy bears displayed on the front. 

"It's all so tiny…" Dorothy marveled, fingering a pair of minuscule blue booties with tiny pompoms decorating the tops.

Quatre laughed and refolded the baby blanket he had lifted to see the pattern of little dragons around the corners.

"Well, babies are awfully small at first. Where did you find this blanket, Hilde? I've never seen a dragon pattern quite like this before." He asked.

Hilde smiled and stroked the blanket softly.

"Wufei went out and bought it…right after I told him the news. I don't know where he found it. I can't imagine any traditional newborn stores having Chinese style dragons on their baby blankets. He must have requested the stitching specially."

"That's so sweet," Catherine commented, her eyes tearing up.

"You're such a sap," Dorothy said, putting an arm around her lover.

Catherine smiled through her tears and leaned into the embrace. "Don't you know it."

"I can't wait until the baby gets here," Quatre sighed, looking around the room at the musical dioramas and stuffed animals that crowded the shelves of the room. His gaze lasted longest on the cradle in the center as he imagined a child, cooing and laughing inside. "I'll have to teach you an ancient Arabian lullaby."

Quatre hummed a sweet tune, then sang in soft, lilting words that seemed to flow together like water.

"Allaahumma bi-Ismika Amutu Wa Ahyaa…*"

Hilde listened to the soothing melody and smiled, caressing her abdomen, silently entreating the child inside to listen. And she could only assume that her baby understood, for the gentle kicks that had been aimed at her ever since she stood up had paused.

Dorothy sighed and rested her head on Catherine's shoulder. The two laced their fingers together and watched as Quatre took one of the stuffed bears off the shelf and cradled it in his arms, singing softly.

As the last note faded into the air, Quatre seemed to realize what he was doing and blushed deeply, putting the bear back down and giving a sheepish grin to the girls who were watching him with knowing expressions on their faces.

"Uh…guess I got a little carried away." The blond boy admitted. "Sorry."

"Aw, don't apologize. It was cute!" Catherine said. "You'd make a great father Quatre."

"Yeah, too bad aren't able to have one of your own—oof!" Dorothy winced sharply as Catherine drove her elbow into her ribs. "What did you do that for?"

Catherine angled her head towards Quatre whose face had lost the grin it held only a second before. His shoulders slumped just a tiny bit and his eyes turned sad and distant.

"…oops…" Dorothy remarked quietly.

"Quatre?" Hilde moved towards her friend, concerned, but the boy smiled and stepped back.

"I'm going to get some fresh air. You'll excuse me, won't you?" he said, turning to leave before anyone could voice a protest. Hilde watched him go with a sad look on her face.

"Quatre…"

Catherine glared at Dorothy who wimpered.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think."

"Love, you have absolutely no tact."

"I'll go apologize—"

"No," Hilde interrupted. "I'll go. You guys go help Wufei put the turkey in, 'kay?"

Hilde left the room in search of the blond Arabian, following him instinctively to the upper balcony. The air was crisp and cold with the smell of snow still strong on the breeze. Quatre was leaning against the railing, looking out at the neighbors' yard. The kids next door had made a snowman the night before, and some birds were happily pecking at his carrot nose. Hilde sighed and her breath created misty swirls in the air.

"Quatre?"

The boy stiffened and wiped a hand across his eyes before he turned around to face Hilde, smiling.

"Hilde…you shouldn't be out in the cold without at least a coat or something."

"I'm fine." Hilde stated, stepping closer, observing the red-rimmed eyes and puffy cheeks. "Quatre…are you okay?"

Quatre's smiled faltered and his eyes got distanced again as he looked back out at the scenery.

"You know," he murmured, "I was supposed to get married on my eighteenth birthday. I was supposed to pick a bride of a noble family and sire many heirs and take over the company…my father used to talk to me about his plans for me all the time. He was certain that my first child would be a boy. He wanted me to name it after him…to remember him by." 

Quatre's voice broke on the word "remember" and he had to wait a moment to compose himself. Hilde waited quietly, a hand cupping her stomach.

"I love Trowa, with all my heart. And I don't regret a moment spent in his company. But sometimes it saddens me…to know how much I've failed my father."

"Oh Quatre," Hilde said, "you haven't failed him. I'm sure that wherever he is, he's very proud of you. Look at all you've done for the world, for peace. Any father would be proud to have you for a son, believe me."

Quatre sighed and nodded, but his expression did not change.

Hilde opened her mouth to say something else but halfway through it turned into a sneeze. Quatre smiled at her.

"Uh oh. Wufei's going to kill me if you catch cold. Let's get you inside." He said, taking her arm and leading her back into the house. Hilde smiled back and caught him up in a warm bear hug, which the boy endured with loving patience.

"Never forget we love you," Hilde whispered furiously into the boy's sweater.

"I won't." Quatre whispered back, tousling the girl's short curls affectionately.

They stayed there like that until the sound of a picture snapping and someone clearing their voice grabbed their attention.

Dorothy stood in the doorway, smirking, while Wufei stood beside her, arms crossed over his chest. Trowa and Catherine stood behind him, trying not to laugh.

"You'd better not be putting the moves on my wife, Winner," Wufei said crossly. 

Trowa raised an eyebrow inquisitively. 

"Anything you want to tell me, Quatre?"

The two separated with a jump, blushing and stuttering in their attempt to explain themselves.

"Well you see, uh…it's not what it looks like…we were just…"

"Uh huh." Wufei said, shaking his head. "Are you finished your little gropefest or do we have to wait until Yuy and Maxwell get home before we can start the stuffing?"

"Gropefest!!" Hilde huffed, swatting Wufei on the shoulder. "It was just a hug you jerk. Don't make me raise my voice."

"Woman, your voice is already raised."

"IT IS NOT!!"

"Are you having hormonal imbalances again?"

"ARRGH!!!"

Catherine laughed as Hilde started chasing Wufei around the room…well, waddling after Wufei around the room. Pregnant women don't move too quickly in their third trimester.

"Wufei's got more of a death wish then Heero," she joked.

Dorothy smiled and readied the camera again.

"So many Kodak moments, so little film. I'm going to have to reload this baby soon."

Trowa moved closer to Quatre and put an arm around his shoulder.

"What's troubling you Little One? You're eyes are red."

"Nothing," Quatre said, smiling up at the boy. "I'll tell you later."

"Are you sure?" Trowa's green eyes flashed with concern and love.

Quatre lifted himself on tiptoe, pulling the taller boy down to meet his kiss.

"I'm sure. Everything's perfect."

"OW!! Woman!! Stop hitting me!!"

"You deserve it, you jerk!!"

The doorbell rang, and seeing as everyone else was too busy to get the door, Catherine took it upon herself to complete the task.

"Who is it?"

Catherine swung the door wide open to display a tall, snowy figure with a beard.

Dorothy stuck her head around the corner.

"Is it Santa Claus?"

The figure stepped into the light and Catherine squealed and clapped her hands.

"Nope, even better. It's Rashid!"

The tall Maguanac looked at the evilly grinning redhead and her blond haired lover and groaned.

"Not you two! I thought you were in Hawaii!"

"We came back just to see you."

Rashid's scream of agony could be heard all the way across town.

To Be Continued….

* A Dua (prayer) said before going to sleep. Translation: O Allah, With Your name do I live and Die.


End file.
